Karl,
Thank you for your thoughtful post and the several suggestions included
therein...I couldn't agree with you more. Yes, my mention of Livermore
is speculation, with "the resulting fire (being) merely incidental in
the two fatalities", witness Cliff and Mary Shaw's accident (low speed
stall/spin) but no fire.
As I have a mono, I intend to fit the standard aux. tank.
Your comments re: the main tank are spot on, and as time goes by,
hopefully we'll all learn more about how to minimize the
stress-cracking tendencies. I regret not looking closely at the issue
when I was installing my tank when those little bells were ringing in
my mind vis a vis the rigid bonding in of a flexible, expandable
component.
I'm curious as to whether those who have had to replace their main
tanks have replicated the original directions for tank installation or
have made adjustments which both provide a robust fit between the CM
and the tank but nonetheless allow for some tank expansion.
Fred
A194
On Thursday, Jan 3, 2008, at 08:03 US/Pacific, Karl Heindl wrote:
> -
> Fred,
> -
> I agree, and the installation of almost any auxiliary tank is a dodgy
> accessory.-Also the main tank is not exactly great, is it ? Some of
> them have developed cracks for no apparent reason, and if I recall, it
> is made of two sections which are welded together. They also tend to
> change shape. When I inspected mine a couple of years ago, I noticed
> that the back wall had buckled inwards, in spite of the enforcement
> ridges. Andy told me not to worry about it.
> To use the Livermore crash as an example of failing marine tanks is
> really pure speculation. In such a high impact crash I imagine that
> any-FULL tank would fail, and that the resulting fire was merely
> incidental in the two fatalities.
> I considered the Europa longrange tank, but it has such an awkward
> shape for a trigear, making it difficult to secure, and it doesn't
> look any stronger than what I am using. Again, guesswork, only a real
> test with tanks full of water and dropped from a certain height would
> constitute a valid comparison.
> Some builders tell us about their solutions with aluminum tanks, but
> they don't tell us- how the rest of us might acquire one and with the
> connection accessories.
> Maybe someone in the business, like Bud Yerly, can manufacture a
> carbon fibre solution, that is portable, and fits on the seat and the
> baggage compartment of any Europa. If it also fits other homebuilts,
> he could generate a nice extra income. It should not hold more than 30
> liters, otherwise it is just too heavy to carry.
> The way tanks are secured is just as important as the tank itself.
> Also, when I use mine, I empty it as soon as there is enough room in
> the main tank, reducing the fire risk considerably on a > (crash)landing.
> Trans-ocean pilots are in a totally different environment, and have to
> take a calculated risk. Remember Lindbergh ? He practically sat in the
> middle of a giant fuel tank, with zero forward visibility.
> -
> Karl
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